Mary of Puddin Hill going out of business

Greenville – An iconic Greenville business, Mary of Puddin Hill, will soon close its doors, citing a lack of sales in the slumping economy.

Owner Ken Bain says the company's catalog business actually increased during the past year, but retail operations had been hampered by the poor economy, rising fuel costs and ongoing construction along Interstate 30.

About a dozen people will lose their jobs upon the stores' closing, scheduled for Saturday. Since 1948, Mary of Puddin Hill has served Northeast Texans with an assortment of chocolate treats and an original world famous fruitcake recipe.

There is word that one of the company's main competitors, the Corsicana-based Collin St. Bakery, is planning to build a mega store in Greenville in the near future.